Home Archive by category "Leadership" (Page 33)

Category: Leadership

Kidology Online Training is LIVE!

It’s been the plan since the Kidology website began in 1994 – to provide training for children’s ministry leaders 24/7 anywhere there was access to a computer. We’ve provided training through the thousands of posts in the Zones on the site, conferences like Kid U, Kidology To Go and now Yosemite Summit, and the interactive forum – but now Kidology’s dream is coming true to take training to a whole new level: ONLINE TRAINING that not only trains leaders, but equips them to train others. It is finally here! People used to ask me how I did so much… two full time ministries, writing, speaking, performing, family, etc. Well, for starters… for much of my ministry I was doing too much!! And I was last guy to recognize it… after all, I would say, can you ever be doing too much for God!? (Um, yes!) In the last year, I have learned some life-changing lessons in how to live a healthier, slower paced, balanced life. Family is finally genuinely first. (I say genuinely first because I would have always claimed it was first!) That is why the very first Kidology Online Training Leadership Lab is titled First Things First. If…

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GO CLIMB A ROCK!

I’m excited to let you know about a very unique opportunity for children’s pastors… it’s called Yosemite Summit. www.yosemitesummit.org May 18-22, 2008 Sunday to Thursday The Unconference for Childrens Pastors No Workshops – Just Worship No Resources – Just Relationships No Networking – Just God Working www.yosemitesummit.org Yosemite Summit is five day personal sabbatical for male children’s pastors located in the heart of one of the most spectacular National Parks in America. This refreshing summit of renewal is limited to only eight men who will be staying at a luxurious lodge inside Yosemite and only ten miles from the famously breathtaking Yosemite Valley. Get away from the office, the church, the phones, the Internet, and the busyness of life and ministry and re-coop with some fellow ministers hiking, worshiping, and enjoying genuinely refreshing fellowship surrounded by vistas that only God could create. This retreat will be a structured time of renewal that will provide both group and personal time of reflection, prayer, reading, and worship in a setting where God can truly be heard and experienced. Day hikes to some of the most stunning vistas in the world and evenings of rest and relaxation. (even a hot tub!) Yosemite Summit…

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There’s No Place Like Family

Just returned from a week away with my family and wife’s parents in beautiful Galena, Illinois. While I was there I also became 38 years old! There was a time when I thought 40 was old… nah, 40 is still a punk!!! One of the benefits of being away was that I had very little Internet or iPhone coverage… though I did have to snag an unsecured network here or there a few times to check in and make sure my staff was still working. (just kidding!) Technically this was not a vacation (then I do disconnect completely) but this was a writing retreat, and it was wonderful to get some concentrated time writing the second Kidology Leadership Lab… something only hinted at so far on Kidology.org but soon to be released in October 2007! Whaddaya know, I’m actually starting to work AHEAD on projects! If you know me, you should be impressed that I am writing Unit 2 when Unit 1 is in the can but still unreleased! It’s all part of living a slower paced life now. But better than the focused time to write was the time with family in a beautiful natural setting away from the…

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New, Revised, Expanded! The Kidology Handbook!

Whew! It finally happened at 6:27 p.m. today! After literally years of work, the NEW, REVISED, and GREATLY EXPANDED Kidology Handbook is NOW LIVE for pre-order in the Kidology Online Store! Not only is the Kidology Handbook GREATLY expanded – it now includes a short but practical LAB ASSIGNMENT at the end of each chapter to help you put what you learn into practice so you will see the changes in your ministry as a result. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s MORE! The ALL NEW Kidology Handbook is ALSO an Audio Book! That’s right, you can download and print the 143 page PDF for your personal self study guide, but you can also listen to the book in your car, on your iPod, or while you are biking, cooking, doing laundry or mowing the lawn if you want! The entire book is read by yours truly (me) so you auditory learners can benefit as well. It’s practical training “on the go” for busy teachers! AND (yes, it gets better) because it is a dual-function CD with data and audio, you are not limited by the restrainsts of a print book! For an additional fee you can purchase the rights…

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How Important Are Kids… Really?

Most churches claim to value children… but few actually do where it counts. A friend recently sent me to this blog post, and I thought it was fantastic, so I am re-posting a part of it here for feedback. (italics is quoted) These questions are good food for thought for those who claim to value children and/or children’s ministry in their church: Are your kids’ rooms painted beige, so they can be “multi-purpose”? (preferring to be attractive to adults who may share them) Could you answer specific questions about the curriculum in your kids’ rooms? Do you believe it’s the parents’ job to lead their kids to Christ, while they assume it’s the church’s? Have you addressed this disconnect? Does your children’s ministry struggle to get and keep passionate volunteers? Even if you can list the activities you offer children, can you show how they support your desired outcomes? Do staff salaries/prestige increase in proportion to the age of the people they serve? Are your children’s ministers regularly challenged to update their strategies? Can they demonstrate a healthy return on resource investment? Are you satisfied with merely “entertained kids” and “satisfied parents”? GOOD QUESTIONS! Thank you Kendra Golden for these questions.…

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